Improvement in omnibus-registers



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN OMNIBUS-REGISTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 11,939, dated November14, 1854.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM MORRIS, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in the Apparatus for Registering the Fares of Omnibuses andother Oarriages, which is described as follows, reference'being had tothe annexed drawings of the same, making part of this specification.

Figure l is a view of the back or concealed part of the improvedapparatus, the indexplate containing thenuineral and fifty marks, andthe hands that revolve around the face of the same, and the cast plateof the frame for holding the parts together being removed so as to morefully expose the parts to view. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of same attheline .00 5c of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is aview of the frontindex-plateexposed to the view of the passengers in the omnibus or other carriageand on which the numeral-marks for indicating the fares received aremarked. Fig. 4 is a view of the marked face of the back index-plate onwhich the numbers for indicating to the agent or other person havingaccess to the same are marked. Fig. 5 is a section of the spring-boltand cog for operating the ratchetwheel, spring-stop, and double pawl foroperating the bell-hammer and preventing a recoil of the ratchet-wheeland the consequent striking of the bell without registering a number onthe index-plates.

Similar letters in the several figures refer to corresponding parts.

The nature of this invention and improvement consists in forming a notchnear the end of the bell-hammer bar, in such a manner as to cause it toactas a double pawl on the toothed wheel to prevent the recoil of thesame and the consequent striking of the bell without recording a fare oneither of the index-plates, as well as to enable each successive toothof the ratchet or toothed wheel to operate on the bar and cause thehammer to strike the bell upon the registering of each fare, and also incombining therewith a channeled wheel and spring-stop, the latter bentat its end to form a cog which enters the channels in said wheel uponthe registering of each fare and striking of the bell, and prevents thetoothed Wheel from being drawn beyond the point necessary to 'indicateone' fare at each drawing of the spring-bolt and cog.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and mode of operation.

The panel A, to which the register is secured, is made of the propersize and form to fit in the space in the front part of the omnibus belowthe drivers seat or other convenient and conspicuous place, being hungon hinges and provided with a lock L aft-er the manner of an ordinaryswinging door, and is marked on its exposed surface to indicate to thepassengers the object of the register, and may be made otherwiseornamental. front surface of this panel is secured the metallic frame B,in which the driving parts of the apparatus are supported by means ofscrews Wh ich pass through the metallic frame into the panel and alsoserve to hold the two flat parts of the frame together, said parts beingkept the required distance apart by the studs arranged at the cornersbetween them.'

The two studs C, at the right-hand corners,

are made flat and are perforated with open-- ings to allow the admissionof a spring-bolt D which slides in them, and to the rising and fallingmotion of which they form guides.

This bolt is provided Witha strap E at its upper end for operating theregister, and is surrounded by a spiral spring F, which is kept in astate of tension between the upper stud C and the upper portion of arectangular enlargement G of the bolt D in such manner as to bring theshoulder of the cast loop H, to which the strap is attached, in contactwith `the upper surface of the upper stud after the registering of eachfare. larged part of the bolt is formeda slot G', in 'which is securedon a pivot a curved cog I,

Through the enmoving on said pivot when required and pressed downward bymeans of a spring J, acting on its upper surface, so as to cause itslower surface to rest against the lower end of the slot, and its uppersurface to assume a horizontal position when it has descended its fullextent and has detached itself from oontact with the toothed wheel uponwhich it previously operated in its upward stroke.

The toothed wheel K is arranged between the plates of the frame B insuch relation to To thev a insee the spring-bolt I) and cog I as tocause said cog to come in contact with a tooth of the wheel K upon everyupward stroke, and is secured on a shaft turning in openings in theframe upon which, and immediately in contact with the toothed wheel, isalso secured a wheel M, having radial channels formed in its peripheryof sufficient depth to admit the bent end or cog of the spring II,secured to the lower fiat stud C, which is pressed by the elasticity ofthe said spring into the channels as they are brought next the same intheir revolutions, so as to form a stop to prevent the possibility ofthe toothed wheel, after it is moved sufficiently far, to cause thehammer 0 to strike the bell I), moving beyond this distance; but not ofsufficient power to prevent said bent end or cog of the spring N frombeing forced out of said channels by their curved or rounded surfaces atthe periphery of the wheel acting on the sides of the same when thespring-cog I is drawn in contact with the teeth of the wheel K with therequired force. A small pinion Q, with ten cogs formed on its periphery,is likewise secured on the sh aft of the toothed Wheel, which pinionmeshes in gear with a cog-wheel R, having fifty cogs on its periphery,secured on a horizonf al shaft R', supported in openings in the frame.Next this cog-wheel and on the same shaft is a hub S, turning` looselyon said shaft and extending through an opening in the outside plate ofthe frame, in which it rests and revolves, and projecting sufficientlyfar beyond the concealed dial or index plate T to receive the hand U,which is secured on the square end of the same, surrounding the shaftand revolves with the cog-wheel V, to indicate the fares in fifty markson the concealed index-plate T. A cog-wheelV having eighty cogs issecured on this hub, between the cog-wheel R and outside plate of theframe, which cog-wheel meshes in gear with a small pinion W of eightcogs on a horizontal shaft turning` in openings in the frame, on whichis also secured a cog-wheel X of eighty cogs, corresponding in everyrespect with the cogwhcel V, and meshing in gear with a pinion Y ofeight cogs on the shaft R', on the ends of which the hands Z Z', forindicating the fares in numerals, are secured. These latter hands Z Z'revolve with the same degree of speed as the shaft R', the hand Z beingsecured on the inner end of said shaft beyond the hand U for indicatingthe fifty marks and made to point to the numeral marks on the concealedindex-plate, and the hand Z se-` cured on the opposite end of the saidshaft R being made to point to the numeral marks on the exposed dial orindex plate a.

The mode of operating this improved register is as follows: Then thehand Z', moving over the index-plate containing the numeralmarks andexposed to the view of the passengers, is moved on its shaft R', so asto bring it opposite and to point to thc star indicating number 50 atthe top of the said plate, and

the concealed hand Z at the opposite end of the shaft points to the samenumber on the inner plate 'I in the numeral index, and the hand U,attached to the barrel or thimbie on the hub S, likewise points to 50the apparatus is set, ready to commence the recording of the fares, thepassengers witnessing the event as it is told by the striking of thebell, and the simultaneous movement of the hand Z over the index-plate afully exposed to their view. Upon a fare being paid the driver or otherperson on the box draws upon the strap E and raises the spring-bolt Duntil the pin b at its lower end strikes the lower fiat stud C, causingthe spring-cog I to come in contact during its ascent with the tooth ofthe wheel K next the spring-bolt, and to cause the bent end of thespring stop or cog N to be forced out of the channel opposite the toothoperated on, and to turn the said tooth ed wheel sufficiently far as tobring the next succeeding tooth of the said wheel to the placepreviously occupied by t-he first-named tooth, causing the notched endof the hammer rod or bar c to be forced from the center of said wheel,and the spring CZ to act upon it and press the hammer O at its oppositeend against the bell P as soon as the acute edge of the tooth has leftthe pawl end with the required degree of force to give the desiredalarm. This movement of the toothed wheel causes the pinion Q to movethe cog-wheel R with which it meshes, and the shaft R', so as to bringthe hands Z Z', attached at its ends, opposite the corresponding radialmarks on the concealed and exposed index-plates, indicating one fare,while the pinion Y on the shaft R', meshing in gear with the cog-Wheel Xon the shaft e, and the pinion IV, meshing in gear with the cog-wheel Von the hub S, to the square part of the barrel or thimble end of whichthe hand U is attached, causes said hand to be moved but a shortdistance at each stroke of the springbolt D, the distance or speed beingreduced to such a degree by the relative sizes of the cogwheels V X andpinions IV Y as to cause said hand U to move only one 50 mark in itsslow circuit over the concealed index-plate T to every revolution of thehands Z Z', thus enabling the fares received to be denoted in 50s to theextent of five thousand. At the same time that the spring-bolt causesthe spring-cog I to turn the toothed wheel K to the extent to producethe effect stated the bent end or cog of the spring N enters the nextchannel in succession in the wheel M, brought opposite it, and holds thetoothed wheel to prevent it being drawn beyond the required distance andassists the hammerbar c to prevent a recoil of the same during thedescent of the spring-bolt and cog I past the same, the curved surfaceof the cog I striking on the upper portion of the tooth to be nextoperated on and being turned on its pivot (the spring J yielding toadmit it doing so) and forced into the slot Gr' in the enlarged part Gof the spring-bolt sufficiently to allow it to pass by and free itselffrom contact with the same when it is pressed downward and brought toits original position. In case the operator should not draw thespring-bolt and cog I sufficiently far to disengage the toot-h next theone operated on from the pawl f2 of the hammer-bar c of the bell O andregister a fare, the spring CZ operating on the hammerbar Will keep thepawl end of the bar pressed against the toothed wheel and cause theprotuberanoe or tooth f of the hammer-bar to act as a stop or pawlagainst the tooth next but one in succession to the one to be operatedon next in turn by the spring-cog I, as represented in Fig. 5, and thusprevent the recoil ot' the toothed Wheel and the consequent striking ofthe bell Without the registering of a fare by the sudden movement of theend of the bellhandle bar into the deepest part of the notch of thetooth situated next but one in succession to the one last operated on.

The panel to which the register is secured is provided with locks forsecuring the glass face and frame g, inclosing the exposed dialplate orindex a, and the concealed dial or indeX'plate T from access except bythe agent or other authorized person, and with another lock L near thelower end ot` the spring-bolt D7 so as to lock the bolt above the pin Z1in the same to prevent mischievous persons from operating the registerwhen the omnibus is standing and at other times When the driver isabsent from his seat.

Having thus fully described my invention and the manner of operating thesame, Iwish it to be understood that I do not claim the eX- clusive useof a spring-notched pawl engaging with the driving-Wheel; but

Vhat I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Forming a notch f near the end of the bellhammer bar c next the toothedWheel K, so as to cause the same to act as a double paWl or stop ou theteeth of said Wheel and prevent a recoil of the same when thespring-bolt D and cog I have not been drawn sufficiently high to strikethe bell and record a fare, and the consequent striking of the bell bythe pawl end of the bar c being allowed to move quickly upward upon saidrecoil, substantially as herein set forth.

WM. MORRIS.

lVitnesses:

CHARLES D. FREEMAN, TH. KAMMERER.

